Criminal Intent
by Sellie
Summary: What has Rhoda Dendren’s life been like since her ordeal? Chapter 2 is now up.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Darkwing Duck and its characters belong to Disney.

Criminal Intent

_"There are many obstacles that face a person in life, these events are meant to build character and endurance, but sometimes there is only so much one individual can endure."_

- Unknown

Affluent scientist Rhoda Dendren stared at the sunset, her heart beating mechanically, keeping the blood flowing in her body, with each beat her life fluid circulated, keeping her alive but doing little to dull the longing that was in her chest. Standing on the balcony of her home she watched the fading vestiges of daylight. She felt that while she had made a name for herself in the scientific world since she had left the university she was missing something. Her life seemed to be stuck in the fading light of sundown. Her work had improved by leaps and bounds, but her life had dimmed and was on the verge of burning out entirely.

She heaved a heavy sigh, her shoulders hunching together and her usual perfect posture slipping. Dull eyes looked through her round thick rimmed glasses and surveyed the affluent neighborhood of St. Canard in which she lived. The street and yard of her neighbors were devoid of people.

There was obviously something missing in her life, but she could not seem to find out what that something was. She had tried. Lord knew how hard she had tried. Several years of counseling had proven that she had tried. Post traumatic stress syndrome. That's what her councilor had said she had. That she had undergone a traumatic event, and that she had every right to feel the way that she did. He had said that her first year of counseling, now two years later it seemed even her usually patient doctor was becoming fed up with her lack of progress. She had tried numerous forms of therapy, but to this day she could not spend too much time around plant life without feeling as if she were in danger. She could almost feel their nonexistent eyes boring into her, waiting. They were just biding their time, waiting for the right moment to strike and turn her into one of them.

She shook her head the paranoia creeping into the edges of her consciousness. She had chosen this neighborhood because of its lack of plant life. The well-to-do citizens of the area had no desire to keep hedges trimmed, nor their lawns mowed.

Her area of scientific study had shifted towards curing diseases as opposed to invention. Her parents who had not known of her kidnapping by one of her former colleagues were ecstatic as they believed her previous desire to experiment was wasteful and if she practiced in this field she would stand a better chance of obtaining a wealthy husband, so she could settle down and raise a family. She spent many nights awake wondering if they'd be so thrilled about her career move if they knew why she had chosen it. This way she had decided if someone ever tried anything like had happened in her past she would stand a better chance of undoing it – in case a hero like Darkwing Duck did not arrive to save her this time.

She felt a crick in her neck irritating the muscles, but pushed the feeling away. She did not feel like moving. Everyday was like this, it was an effort to even get out of bed. The simplest of tasks was like trying to walk on the surface of Saturn. Yet, she managed. Every day she managed. There was always a niggling feeling as she pushed through that today would be the last day she could carry on, but it was never the case. The next day came and she wadded through it just as she had the last.

Avoiding people at all costs, never letting them know her in case they decided to hurt her, like he had. She could keep pushing herself as long as no one got too close to her, and if she stayed away from plants. Except in the grocery store she reminded herself. Those fruits and vegetable that lay on the cold hard shelves, or were wrapped in plastic, or imprisoned in cans of metal forced to soak in their own juices. Those she enjoyed being around. Whenever she felt stifled with paranoia she would go walk down the produce isle and pretend she heard the plants crying out for help, the pleas of the dieing. Her councilor would not approve, she knew. Frankly, she did not care.

The fading colors in the sky dimmed as the sun fled from the skyline of St. Canard, allowing the stars to shine in the sky like distant apartment lights. She turned stiffly, as she had stood unmoving for too long.

"Another day," she announced to herself, uncertain if she was happy about this or if she would wake up tomorrow.

-

A sharp ringing woke Rhoda from her slumber, her eyes shooting open and her heartbeat rising. She could feel her pulse throughout her body, her adrenalin flowing. It took her a moment to realize that it was her telephone ringing. With her hand trembling she reached for the telephone, noting the lack of light in her room. It was still night. Taking the receiver to her ear she heard silence on the other end.

"Hello?" she asked, her voice clear of sleep as the sudden noise had startled that from her. There was no response from the other end and she felt tendrils of fear creep up her spine. "H-hello?" she asked again her voice beginning to waver, again there was no answer. She was chilled to the bone. It had been almost a year since she had received a call like this. She had changed her number immediately after that, in fact that had not been the only time she had had to do so. "I-I suppose you have the wr-wrong number, goodnight." She hung up the phone and knew that that call was no wrong number. Raising her legs to her chest the blanket still draped over them she sobbed. Her head fell against her knees and her shoulders shook as she cried.

"When will you leave me alone?" she cried out her words muffled by her position. She wondered if she would ever be able to forget. There was no reason for her to believe that it was him on the phone, it could have honestly been a wrong number, or some drunk trying to call his wife, or even some kids at a slumber party. But she knew that it was him.

The phone rung again. This was his pattern. If she picked up the phone again she knew she would hear nothing but silence. He'd keep calling her until she changed her number, she didn't know how he had managed to get her unlisted number, but he had. She could call the police – but they wouldn't do anything. St. Canard had some of the most erratic criminal activity and they wouldn't have time for an unproven stalker.

The phone continued to ring grating on her raw nerves she felt the urge to grab the phone and hurl it towards the wall of her bedroom, shattering the offending object and ceasing its constant ring once and for all. She nearly acted upon the urge but a stray thought stopped her. What if she had thrown the telephone and the cord beneath her bed leading to the telephone jack was somehow tangled? Then the throw would only result in the telephone making a short trip through the air to land harmlessly on the soft rug of the bedroom. The receiver would lift off of its cradle and she would once again be exposed. She shuddered at the thought. So she slowly moved out of her position, lifted her head and brought her arm to the telephone and switched off the ringer.

That did not help still her fears.

She dare not turn on the light to her room. He might be right outside waiting to see her silhouette behind her curtains. If he found out her phone number, he must know where she lived. That thought did not sit well at all. It was easy enough to change one's number, but to move whenever one needed to change one's phone number was not so easy a feat.

Rhoda sat hunched in the dark for the rest of the night jumping at the common sounds of the night. Sounds that she vaguely remembered didn't bother her once upon a time.

_So there you have it. This could be a stand alone or part of a larger story. I've given up on writing my sequel to Klangfarbenmelodie (my Rockman fan fiction) for the time being and am feeling the need to write another fan fiction so I thought I'd try my hand at a Darkwing Duck fan fiction. Let me know what you think. Good? Bad? Continue? Drop?_


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sun rose to greet an exhausted Rhoda, it fought its way through the fabric of her bedroom curtain, a dim light. As if unsatisfied with its filtered presence the light snaked its way through the cracks between the curtain and her window. Rhoda's eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep she breathed a sigh of relief. One more night had passed leaving her untouched. Safe.

It was still early in the morning, as dawn came before five at this time of year. She had plenty of time to get ready for work. She did not move. Not because she had time, but because she just couldn't endure the motion. Getting up and preparing for work, was a deception. Her pretending that everything was fine. Everything was not fine. Nothing had been fine since that day. Rhoda could not even bring herself to lower her tired head to her knees. She just sat staring at the curtain as she had all night long. That warm aura of light that probed through the protective layer of fabric that stood between her and the world. That damned happy light. How dare it she wanted to scream. How dare it shine warmly helping those accursed plants grow!

Not only did the coming of the sun feed the hated plant life but it also heralded the beginning of another day, another day of fear. She didn't know what she could do to ease her terror. Especially considering what had just happened last night. She'd never be free. Reginald had her trapped and he was taking his time to make his appearance. _Stop that Rhoda!_ She reprimanded herself. _Just get out of bed and start your day. Don't let Reginald Bushroot win. Don't you dare!_

Attempting to steel her resolve she pushed her covers from her and rose from her bed. Standing there she felt a little better. Today would be okay. She would change her number after work and she wouldn't here the silence on the other end of the receiver. Maybe her whereabouts were still unknown. Maybe he'd just found her phone number. She doubted that was true, but she was tired of running. She did not know if she had the strength to do that anymore. She'd invested in a state of the art security system. Surely that would be enough. It would be if she was dealing with a burglar and not an obsessive super villain stalker. She forced her thoughts away from such thought. She couldn't allow herself to think this way. She'd find herself trapped in a padded room if she couldn't stop these thoughts.

Rhoda set about her morning ritual of preparing herself for work. Finishing her hair she made her way down to the kitchen. Her taste in décor had become sterile and the pure white paint on the walls was that which had been present when she purchased this new home. She had learned to travel relatively light as she usually was unable to stay long in a home after she started to receive the calls. Never feeling safe after being found.

Pouring a cup of pre-made coffee Rhoda leaned against her kitchen counter her elbows resting on the white Formica surface and her hands wrapped around the warm cup. Her first home, she'd been so proud of it. She'd moved in once she had gotten word from Dean Tightbill that she'd received the position at the university. It had been a small home but there she'd been surrounded by beloved knickknacks and a warm color palette. It was a huge contrast to what she'd been reduced to.

A soft ringing noise startled her. It was the cordless phone that she kept on the main floor of her home. He blood ran cold. _Don't be silly Rhoda,_ she reprimanded herself._ He doesn't ever call during the day._ This knowledge did nothing to stop the sudden trembling of her hands. Coffee sloshed over the lip of her cup onto the counter in large brown drops. Slowly she put down the cup and it seemed too loud a sound for a simple porcelain cup being deposited on the counter. The clear sound was a strange contrast to the muffled ringing.

She knew that the cordless phone was in the living room between the couch's cushions judging from the faintness of the ringing. With halting steps she made her way into the adjoining living room. The floral couch was a throwback from her first home and the only place where she felt remotely comfortable in her current residence. Reaching into the couch she pulled out her cordless phone and reluctantly pressed 'Talk'.

"Hello?" she answered frightened that all she would hear on the other end would be silence.

"… Rhoda? Sis you okay?" the voice on the other end of the phone asked concerned.

Feeling a wave of relief Rhoda sat down wearily on the couch. It was her brother. "Yes, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" she asked and was distraught to hear the cheerful tone in her voice sound forced.

"I don't know… You just didn't sound right when you answered the phone. Frankly, you still don't." It was obvious that her cheerfulness sounded as faked as it was.

"No Rodney, there's nothing wrong. Seriously. Now is something the matter at home?" she was worried. Rhoda had been very close to her family. Even after she'd moved from Duckburg to St. Canard. She'd spoken to her parents on a daily basis, but the phone calls had slowed to the obligatory once every month or two after her abduction.

Her family of course was her tragic experience. That was part of the reason she hardly called them anymore. It was hard to pretend that she was happy, that everything was fine. She doubted she'd be able to fool her parents for long. They'd know. Parents always know when they're children are in trouble and that's what Rhoda felt. Like she was plummeting off of a cliff at breakneck speeds and there was nothing in the world that could possible cushion her fall enough to save her. Not even the loving arms of her parents. She knew they would not fault her, but they were getting on in years and she was not going to burden them, especially when there was nothing that they could do to help her anyway. It wouldn't be right. She loved her family too much to have them force her problems on them.

"Everything's good out here too. Nothing to complain about – except that the water company decided to raise the cost of water 5 out here. It's preposterous!"

Ever the tightwad her brother could always find something wrong with the world. Rhoda felt herself smile a real smile, not the usual fake expression she gave to her colleagues since the incident. It was almost a foreign feeling to her, but it felt good. After the night she'd had she needed this distraction.

"… can you believe it?" he exclaimed affronted.

Rhoda realized she hadn't been paying attention to him at all. "No I can't," she chanced a guess hoping that she had given the correct answer.

"Neither could I. But that's not why I called you," he said almost sheepishly. "I was wondering if you could make it to Duckburg for Mom's birthday."

Her eyes widened behind her glasses. _Her mother's birthday!_ She'd completely forgotten about it. It was coming up in a little under a month wasn't it? The previous amusement she'd felt from hearing her brother's lighthearted complaint disappeared and she felt like dirt. Certainly she'd been having problems. As of yesterday her situation had become precarious once again, but it had been going on like this for three years now she should be used to it.

"I think I can manage it," she said softly still crestfallen over her forgetfulness.

"That's great! We've been worried about you, you know. You hardly call down to Mom and Dad's. And you and I never talk anymore. I sometimes wonder if you ever spare a thought to think of Duckburg," he stopped, his voice had sounded upset. Rhoda imagined he did not want to start a fight with her after he'd finally spoken to her after a few months. There was a sigh from his end of the phone and she knew she was right.

"So just the other day I ran into that crazy Crackshell kid you used to be inseparable from. Did you know he's engaged to Gandra Dee? You went to school with her too didn't you?"

He'd decided not to further his lecture and switched to something almost as bad in her mind and she wondered if it had been intentional. "No… No I didn't – I mean I didn't know he was engaged to her."

She remembered Fenton. From grade school until graduation they had always been together. It was strange that she had let the friendship waste away to the point where she hadn't even known he'd been seeing Gandra let alone was engaged to her. "I remember Gandra," she added. That was somewhat of an understatement. Gandra Dee was her high school tormentor. The soft spoken blond had seemed to make it a point to torment Rhoda whenever the two were alone. It was then that the blond seemed to develop a venomous attitude. Knowing that her best friend had something of a crush for the then unattainable Gandra Rhoda had stayed silent. It seemed that he had finally gotten the girl of his dreams. Something about that thought made Rhoda feel like retching.

"Anyway he asked how you were doing. I didn't know what to say. I had thought you were at least keeping in touch with him. To be completely honest I had always expected that you two would end up together," Rodney chuckled apparently not knowing how this sudden news had affected his sister.

On her end of the phone Rhoda frowned. Her life in Duckburg seemed to be eons in the past. She clutched at the cordless in her hand willing herself back in time. If only she had stayed there. She'd never have met Dr. Reginald Bushroot. She wouldn't have had the opportunity to work at such a prestigious university but she'd have been happy – happier than she was now at least.

She doubted her brother was right with his theory that her and Fenton would have ended up as a couple. The two had never been anything other than friends, but Rodney had always the teasing big brother back then so she'd heard his theory many times before now. Still somehow it bothered her more now than it had when she was growing up. There had never been any romantic feelings between her and Fenton of that she was certain. He constantly wore his heart on his sleeve. She'd have been the first to know that he had liked her any way but as a friend. As to the revulsion she'd felt over the news of his engagement to Gandra that had been nothing more than her wanting to protect her once best friend. He'd never known Gandra as she had. True the blond could act like an innocent angel, but once you got on her bad side she could be Satan's right hand man. Gandra was great at hiding her true colors and Fenton was too naive and innocent to be able to see that. The poor guy didn't know what he was in for.

Not that her feelings about the situation mattered she realized. He'd marry her high school tormentor, and Gandra might have changed over time, goodness knew that Rhoda had. The two would get married and live happily ever after. While Rhoda was left to be afraid that every man she met on the street and every plant she passed. Maybe she was just jealous over the fact that Gandra would have the normal life Rhoda had always wanted and could now never have.

"So who are _you_ seeing?" The question came out of left field and Rhoda's breath caught in her throat. "I'd imagine there's got to be some guy keeping you so occupied. You can't possibly be spending all of your time at the research center," this time he was prying as older brothers do and she wished he would stop. "Will you be bringing this mystery man along for Mom's party?"

Rhoda's mouth went dry and she almost lost the phone despite the strong hold she had on it. Forcing herself to breath once again she found her voice and answered. "No Rodney. I'm not seeing anyone. Now I've got to get going. I have to be at work soon. I'll be there for Mom's party. Don't worry. I love you. Bye." It was a rushed departure. She fled from the probing question as she'd been fleeing from any male colleagues that seemed to take interest in her.

She would not bring anyone with her to Duckburg. There was no one to bring. She was alone. Dropping the cordless onto the couch Rhoda grabbed her purse and exited her home. She'd be early, but it was time to start her day. Her cup sat abandoned surrounded a pool of half dried coffee.

So here's Chapter 2 of my little fan fiction. It was not at all what I expected it would turn out like. I was planning on taking the story somewhere else entirely, but this idea popped into my head as I was vacuuming and I just had to do it. (I burst out laughing psychotically when I thought of the phone scene and made everyone else present in the house question my sanity.)

Yes this will now be a Darkwing Duck/DuckTales crossover. Hopefully that won't loose me readers. I've been thinking up plot for later chapters and currently everything is a little convoluted. I'll work on that though… I do believe that what was supposed to be a one shot or at best a short story will become an epic. Boy I hate writing epics. Klangfarbenmelodie's uncompleted sequel almost caused me to pull my hair out and threatened to leave me looking like Dr. Wily!

I should stop rambling and let you review if you'd like. I'd like but I suppose I cannot force you to do so. Thank you Nightw2 for your review I really appreciate it!

**By-the-by Darkwing Duck and DuckTales are copyright Disney.**


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